Portable elevator



(No Model.)

FITCH.

PORTABLE ELEVATOR.

No. 593,392 Patented Nov. 9; 1897.

v 76727 WW dz NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM E. FITCH, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

PORTABLE ELEVATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 593,392, dated November 9, 1897.

Application filed April 16, 1897. Serial No. 632,l33. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, NVILLIAM E. FITCH, a citizen of the United States, residing at No.1340 North Twenty-first street, in the city of Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Portable Elevators, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in portable elevators to be employed in raising or elevating substances or goods of any description; and the object of my improvement is to provide a carrying-platform which shall be adjustable to a horizontal plane while traveling upward and downward upon a frame variously inclined from the vertical. To accomplish this object, my invention involves the features of construction and combination or arrangement of devices hereinafter described and claimed, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a detailed view in perspective of the entire apparatus. Fig. 2-is a side elevation of a part of the slidable frame B B and of the feet of the braces D D, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the platform 0, Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a front elevation of the upper ends of the braces D D, Fig. 1, showing their connection with the platform 0. Fig. 5 is a sectional view through the supporting-frame and slidable frame, showing the manner in which the slidable frame is mounted upon the supporting-frame.

In Fig. 1 the parallel side pieces A A A A are joined together by the cross-pieces K K K, making a ladder-like frame, hereinafter called the supporting-frame A A. .Upon

the supporting-frame A A travels the slidable frame B B. The manner in which the slidable frame B B is mounted upon the supporting-frame A A is shown at Fig. 5, in which A A is the supporting-frame; B B, the slidable frame; N N, the flanges, having the tongues M M fitting easily into grooves in theinner faces of the sides of the supportingframe A A, and L L are rollers attached to the under side of the slidable frame B B to diminish the friction between it and the supporting-frame A A. To the upper edge of the slidable frame B B the carrying-platform O O is'attached by hinges, asshown at P. The

part 0 of the carrying-platform is further supported by the braces D D. The upper ends of the braces D D are connected with the part 0 of the carrying-platform in the manner shown in front elevation at Fig. 4, in which 0 is'the carrying-platform. j is aflanged casting secured to the under side of said carrying-platform, and lo the forked head of the brace, pivotally connected with the flange of the casting above described. The feet of the braces D D are similarly'pivoted to castings which are adjustably secured to the slidable frame B B, as shown in detail at Fig. 2. The two parts 0 andO of the carrying-platform are connected by the hinges O O.

The shaft E, ratchet-wheel H, and crank I I are mounted on the under side of the supporting-frame A A in the journal-boxes F F.

A rope T' is made fast to the slidable frame B B at the pointW and passes through the pulley R at the top of the supporting-frame A A, above described, and down to the shaft-E. Another rope T is made fast to the slidable frame B B at the point X and passes through the pulley R at the bottom of the supporting-frame A A and up to the shaft E.

The'slidable frame B B, with the carryingplatform C 0, being allowed to run to the bottom of the supporting-frame A A either by its own weight or by reverse revolution of the crank I I and shaft E, the weight to be raised is placed upon the part 0 of the carryingplatform,and by the revolution of thecrank I I and rotation of the shaft E the slidable frame B B and carrying-platform C O are made to travel up the supporting-frame A A. The dog G and ratchet-wheel H serve to govern the ascent and to maintain the slidable frame and carrying-platform at any desired height. When the top of the supportingframe A A is reached, the part 0 of the carrying-platform slides over the rounded ends of the side pieces A A A A and falls down into the same plane with the part 0, thus furnishing an additional platform-space tofacilitate the handling or removal of the weight raised.

The shaft E is provided with a dog and ratchet-wheel'at both ends in order that power may be applied at either or both sides of the supporting-frame A A. p

The hooks S S at the upper ends of the supporting-frame A A may be either of the ordinary pointed description or squared to fit connection with the carrying-platform is shown in side elevation at Fig. 3, in which 0 is the carrying-platform, g the strip, having dowels, as shown at h, and f the countersunk holes in thecarrying-platform to receive said dowels. I

WVhen the apparatus is permanently employed in one particular use and the angle of inclination of the supporting-frame and slidable frame is in consequence always the same, the carrying-platform may be adjusted to a horizontal position and the castings at the feet of the braces D D may be secured to the slidable frame, as shown in Fig. 1. The apparatus is principally designed, however, for raising or lowering through constantly-varying heights, and since this would render the angle of inclination or slant of the supportin g-frame'and slidable frame correspondingly variable it is necessary that the carryingplatform shall be readily adjustable to a horizontal plane irrespective of the slant of the supporting frame and the slidable frame. This is accomplished by the device shown at Fig. 2, in which Y is a serrated plate or casting secured to the face of the slidable frame on each side. V is a casting pivotally attached to the foot of each brace and havingits lower face serrated to fit into theserrated plate Y. The supporting-frame being placed in posi tion, the platform 0 is raised to a horizontal position andthe casting attached to the foot of each brace is set in the serrated plate, as

above explained. The position of these serrated plates on each side of the slidable frame B B is indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 1.

This apparatus is especially designed for the removal of ashes and furnace refuse from cellars to the sidewalk or street level, but it is capable of being used for loading and un loading vehicles or for elevating or lowering bags, barrels, boxes, or merchandise in general. The apparatus is useful for many purposes not specially mentioned, and therefore I do not confine myself to any particular use of the invention. v

I am, aware that prior to my invention portable elevating devices have been made in which the carrying-platform travels upon or within a frame, being operated by a chain or rope, pulleys, shaft or drum, and crank. I therefore do not claim such a combination broadly.

What I claim as my invention, and desire I to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a portable elevator, a supportingframe, a slidable frame mounted thereon, a

carrying-platform the sections of which are platform relatively to the slidable frame, substantially as described.

2; In a portable elevator, a supporting,

W'ILLIAM E. FITCH.

WVitnesses:

GEO. A. PIERCE, WILLIAM T. RrcKARns.

hinged together, and means for adjusting said 

